“A teenager understands what a gun can do”; Buffalo teens have access to guns

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — With two Buffalo teens charged with the murder of a toddler, it begs the question: Why were these teens able to access the guns?

Buffalo police are not releasing specific information as the investigation continues, but 7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley speaks with an expert on the topic of teens and guns.

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“A 14-, 15-, 16-year-old understands what a gun can do,” noted Patricia Logan-Greene, an associate professor at the University at Buffalo.

“You know we live in an unhappy society today,” said Michael Keane, acting Erie County prosecutor.

Gun violence is declared a public health crisis, and younger generations are deeply affected, both as victims and perpetrators.

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Buffalo leaders and law enforcement announced Tuesday that two teenage boys, ages 14 and 16, are in custody and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 3-year-old Ramone Carter last Friday night.

“But the fact that these kids owned guns and were so willing to use them indiscriminately is what brings us to this point,” Mayor Byron Brown said.

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“I’m still waiting for the Americans to say wait a minute,” Logan-Greene commented.

Logan-Greene is associate dean for academic affairs in UB’s School of Social Work. She has delved deeper into gun data over the past several years and co-authored this research titled: Social Work Practice and Gun Safety in the United States: Are We Doing Enough? and responded to the deadly Buffalo shooting.

“How alarming is that for you to hear?” asked Buckley. “Well, it’s obviously devastating, especially given the age of the young child who was killed and the ages of the children who got their hands on the gun – also tragic due to the fact that it can be avoided,” Logan-Greene responded.

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Avoidable because Logan-Greene says there is a large free flow of guns, legal and illegal, in communities.

“49 percent of young people say they could get a gun fairly or very easily,” Logan-Greene said.

Logan-Greene tells me there are efforts to end gun culture in communities like Buffalo, but it’s not easy.

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“Many people in communities like Buffalo feel that they must carry a gun for their own protection and that they will be seen as a target for violence by others if they do not have a gun on them at all moment,” Logan-Greene described.

Logan-Greene’s extensive research also reveals that too many children have easy access to guns in their own homes.

“Up to 40 percent of gun owners don’t store at least one of their guns safely, meaning millions of children live in homes where they can simply find a gun enough easily,” Logan-Greene noted.